"If you practice for one day you get one day’s benefit, with daily practice you can steadily improve. If you don’t practice for one day you lose ten days of development. So practice every day without stopping! Western students must understand this clearly. Practice every day!"

— Master Chen Zhenglei

Tai Chi and Qigong are paths to self-transformation. There is both a science and an art to each. Tai Chi, in particular, although it looks simple and beautiful, is as complex and challenging to learn as music — and it requires the same discipline, as Chen Zhenglei notes in the quote above. When you're ready, give us a call.

The Academy offers four public programs:

• Foundation Qigong("chi-gung")

Qigong means "life energy cultivation." It's one of the great traditional arts of China, where many different styles are practiced daily for health and vitality,

relief from stress, recovery from illness or injury, and promotion of longevity. Qigong is also the foundation of Tai Chi. We offer two kinds of Qigong in the Foundation program: Dynamic Qigong and Primordial Qigong. Dynamic Qigong is more rigorous, and helps build the basic strength and skills of body and mind needed for Tai Chi. Primordial Qigong is gentler and more meditative, and helps develop higher levels of Tai Chi gongfu. Both are also wonderful stand-alone routines for anyone working on health and harmony in body and mind. Many of our students, including seniors, find that the Qigong program satisfies all their needs.

The Beginning Tai Chi program focuses on the first introductory form of Hunyuan Tai Chi, the 24-movement Yilu. Although the "24" is a short introductory form, it takes about six months to learn the basic choreography. Most students then choose to stay with the Beginning program for several more iterations, going into greater depth each time through the form, and gradually developing the ease and relaxation Tai Chi is famous for. Stay with the Beginning program as long as you like, or move on to the Advanced Tai Chi program when you're ready.

For the serious student, the Advanced Tai Chi program offers the complete core Hunyuan Tai Chi curriculum, including the 24, 48, and 83 Yilu forms, the 24, 38, and 77 Erlu ("cannonfist") forms, the straight sword, and the saber.